According to Football Insider, Leeds United has expressed interest in Sunderland player Jack Clarke, who has turned down a new deal on Wearside.
Star player Clarke was expected to leave Sunderland this summer, but to the astonishment of many, he is still in the northeast with less than two weeks remaining in the summer window.
Under Regis Le Bris, the Black Cats have enjoyed a successful start to the season. After keeping two clean sheets in their first two games, they now have six points from a possible six.
Although Sunderland’s style of play doesn’t appear to be as dependent on the winger as it was during the previous two campaigns, Clarke has once again shown why he is a valuable member of the team thus far this season.
This summer, he has been connected to numerous clubs, many of which are Premier League teams. The most recent, though, was against Clarke’s previous team, Leeds United, a fellow Championship team.
According to Football Insider, Clarke has turned down a new contract offer from Sunderland due to the Whites’ interest, and a move to Elland Road might happen within the next two weeks.
A marquee hire
Clarke played in 40 Championship games last season, tallying 15 goals and dishing out four assists.
After a miserable season, Sunderland finished just six points outside of the relegation zone, which may be attributed in part to the 23-year-old winger.
However, Sunderland appears to have turned the corner as they have already won as many games in the first two of this season as they did in the last fifteen.
This season, Clarke has already recorded a goal and an assist, and he will be looking to surpass his previous performance in terms of stats this year.
It may be argued that the former Tottenham Hotspur player wouldn’t make much sense to come to Leeds United after numerous top flight links, but money talks and the Whites do have some money to spend before deadline day.
A struggle till the very end
There is no urgency on Sunderland to sell, and they will be eager to cling onto Clarke.
After two games, Sunderland is now second in the Championship after a commanding 4-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday yesterday. While that doesn’t mean anything, it does indicate that Sunderland is a very different team this season than it was under previous managers like Mike Dodds and Michael Beale.
It will be fascinating to watch whether Daniel Farke’s team makes a serious approach for Clarke this summer, but Sunderland itself could use a few fresh faces coming through the door before the window slams shut.
When the Whites meet Sheffield Wednesday on Friday, they will be looking to win for the first time after taking two points from their first two games.
As the season approaches, Sunderland is preparing for a challenging matchup with league leaders Burnley, who should finish in the top two.
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